Rock Springs district posts statewide top growth in ELA and science; math performance lags in middle and high school

Rock Springs — Rock Springs School District trustees on Sept. 8 heard assessment results showing pronounced one‑year gains in English language arts (ELA) and science but continuing declines in math scores beginning in junior high. Superintendent Libby told the board the district ranked third in the state for one‑year growth in ELA among large districts and was first in the state for one‑year growth in science. Libby said ninth‑ and tenth‑grade ELA showed especially large gains: “ninth grade went from 43 to 52” and “tenth grade, 29 to 40,” while third grade ELA rose from about 42.8 to 50 in the most recent year. “In science, we were number 1 in the state for one year growth,” Libby said. The district’s math results were mixed: younger grades made gains (third grade from 47 to 56), but scores dropped through the junior high and early high school grades (for example, a reported sixth‑grade decline and larger drops in seventh and eighth grade). The board heard math performance “drops significantly across the board” once students reach higher‑level concepts, a point administrators said the district must address. To respond, the district said it has purchased a math screening and intervention system for K–6 (named in the meeting as “ICE STEP” by staff) and will deploy targeted instructional teams (SATs) and interventions in identified schools. Administrators also cited continued use of Edmentum, Exact Path and Study Island for supplemental instruction and said they will maintain ELA strategies that produced recent gains. Trustees and administrators highlighted implementation steps already under way: expanding targeted MTSS (multi‑tiered system of supports), placing SATs in struggling buildings, and adding math intervention resources. “We’ve been able to purchase a math screener and intervention tool,” a staff presenter said. The board directed staff to continue monitoring cohort trends and return with follow‑up plans. District leaders cautioned that state standard reductions for math and science will not necessarily remove the need to teach foundational skills; Libby said the district will continue to teach standards it views as essential even as the state adjusts testing content. Trustees asked for clearer public materials explaining where the district will concentrate resources and timelines for planned interventions. Administrators said the gains reflect multi‑year work and staffing alignment. They recommended continuing present ELA work while intensifying math supports at the junior high and early high school levels. The district did not take a formal vote on curriculum changes at the meeting; staff will bring implementation details and timelines to future meetings.